Terrorism Paranoia in the US Rises With Random Checks at Boston Subway Stations

Report: Boston transit system to search train riders

BOSTON (AP) -- Transit police will begin randomly stopping riders on Boston's subways and commuter trains next month to search their bags and packages, a procedure transportation officials say was largely prompted by the March 11 train bombings in Spain.

The new policy is set to be in place for July's Democratic National Convention, MBTA Police Chief Joseph Carter told The Boston Globe for a story in Tuesday editions. It will include explosive-sniffing dogs and all 247 uniformed Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority police officers, he said.

"I have no trepidation about being first (in the nation with the policy)," Carter said. "I don't want to be the first to do an interview about having a serious incident that may have some terrorist indications to it. ... We want to do this to encourage people to feel safe on the MBTA, to utilize public transportation."

Carter said MBTA has not announced the new policy formally because officials still are working out the details on how to balance security and privacy concerns.

Last month, MBTA police announced the entire force has been receiving counterterrorism training that includes spotting suspicious behavior. MBTA police already can request to see the identification of passengers they perceive to be acting suspiciously.

Last month, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration unveiled a pilot program to screen the bags of all passengers at a single Maryland Rail Commuter station in suburban New Carrollton.

MBTA Deputy Police Chief John Martino, who is overseeing the development and implementation of the search policy, said police, sometimes accompanied by explosive-sniffing dogs, will randomly pick out riders for inspection throughout the transit system daily. He said the number of inspections would increase dramatically during the convention July 26-29.

Carol Rose, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said that while she understands the need for security, the MBTA plan is deeply flawed and may violate the U.S. Constitution's ban on unreasonable search and seizure.

"The Fourth Amendment doesn't stop at your wrist when you carry a briefcase; it includes your bag," Rose said. "It either has to be truly random, or it has to have a root in a reasonable basis of suspicion."

The March terror bombings in Madrid, Spain, killed 191 people and were blamed on Islamic militants with possible links to al-Qaeda.

Another way "terrorism" is used as an excuse to further invade the citizens' privacy.

Jun-08-2004 20:40

starsearcherDigitalPunk on Flight643

Registered: Jan 2003
Location: Toronto

quote:

Another way "terrorism" is used as an excuse to further invade the citizens' privacy.

I guess some people need to physically BLOW UP IN FRONT OF YOU so that you will realize that it's not a joke...

Mind you I haven't read the full article so I don't know what exactly they do, but I do know that i'm sick of people pretending it's a perfect world and taking their own security for granted

Re: Terrorism Paranoia in the US Rises With Random Checks at Boston Subway Stations

quote:

Originally posted by The Highroller
Another way "terrorism" is used as an excuse to further invade the citizens' privacy.

hehe, yeah sure, the ultimate goal of society is to invade as much privacy as possible

Jun-08-2004 20:49

The Highrollerad hoc and ad lib

Registered: Oct 2002
Location: Flying over the cuckoo's nest

starsearcher: how about reading the article before making comments ?

they're randomly searching people's bags in the subway station. how would you like if you were at yonge & bloor station and a transit officer asked to search your bag? how would you like to be afraid of what you had on you at all times for fear of being randomly searched?

and St_Andrew, i don't know what you were reading, but i wasn't implying that at all.

Jun-08-2004 20:54

starsearcherDigitalPunk on Flight643

Registered: Jan 2003
Location: Toronto

quote:

Originally posted by The Highroller
starsearcher: how about reading the article before making comments ?

they're randomly searching people's bags in the subway station. how would you like if you were at yonge & bloor station and a transit officer asked to search your bag? how would you like to be afraid of what you had on you at all times for fear of being randomly searched?

and St_Andrew, i don't know what you were reading, but i wasn't implying that at all.

For your information I grew up in Israel where you can't walk in into any building or establishment without having your bag or belongings searched -- welcome to the new reality Mr. Highroller...

I'd rather have them searched and be alive than having some mofo terrorist blow one next to me thank you ver much...
It's the same as going to the guvernment...do i like having my balls felt? Do i like having someone feel my shoe sole? No but I'd rather have that than hearing a gunshot in the club...or a knife in my back cause of some idiot...

Originally posted by The Highroller
and St_Andrew, i don't know what you were reading, but i wasn't implying that at all.

i didn't read the article either, and i agree that US is taking this to the extreame many times. but your comment is hard to interpret in any other way than that "the government does this for fun", "they want to do this", "now when they have terror they have a good excuse to finally do it without pissing people of too much" =)

Jun-08-2004 21:01

starsearcherDigitalPunk on Flight643

Registered: Jan 2003
Location: Toronto

I guess you have to live through it to get it...for some people it's just hard to "understand"...It seems "unimaginable"...well 9/11 was "unimaginable" too...well guess what...

st_andrew, of course the government wants to do it. it makes their jobs a lot easier. you keep telling yourself that the US has no interest in involving themselves in people's personal lives

starsearcher: you can live your life how you want to. if you feel safer being searched before going into any building, then fine. but for me, i'd rather not. taking measures like this is letting them win. it's showing them that we are SCARED of them, and that we will change our way of living because of them.

[i][b]can live your life how you want to. if you feel safer being searched before going into any building, then fine. but for me, i'd rather not. taking measures like this is letting them win. it's showing them that we are SCARED of them, and that we will change our way of living because of them.

as if searching in a lil old ladie's purse is going to deter acts of terrorism!! what a joke!! HAHAHA!! so typical ... another moronic decision by the monkey-face of a president! -and just before the elections. 'smooth move'. LOOOL!!!

anyways, if they want to attack the US they will do it in the most unimaginable ways, especially if it's made public what measures are being taken. the terrorists will sneak up and bite them in the ass when and where they least expect it! ... what if they use biological or chemical weapons or, just as an example, poison the US' drinking water? what are they gonna do then? are they prepared for something like that? would we be or any country? ... the problem lies a lot deeper and these 'preventative measures' won't change anything! ... once again, an act to 'pull the wool over the general population's eyes'.

oh yea ...and i'd like my privacy as well. thank you very much! we're not in a friggin police state!